David Starr hopes fresh start with new team reverses his fortunes in Truck Series
David Starr has moved to SS Green Light Racing after starting the year with Randy Moss Motorsports. // Jim Fluharty, NASCAR Scene
David Starr is in a rare predicament for this late in a NASCAR season.
The Camping World Truck Series veteran has moved to a new team, SS Green Light Racing, after running the first 16 races of 2010 with Randy Moss Motorsports.
Starr, who came home a solid 10th in his SS Green Light debut last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, will finish out the year with the team in what is likely an audition for a full-time ride in 2011.
Starr, who joined RMM prior to the start of the 2010 season, and the team parted ways after the organization suspended operations for the No. 81 team for back-to-back races at Chicagoland and Kentucky Speedway.
Starr will carry sponsor Zachry and the No. 81 over to SS Green Light, where he will drive a Toyota over the season's final eight races.
A formal announcement on those plans came Wednesday, and Starr is thankful for the opportunity to keep racing – especially after a strong debut for the team at Chicagoland in a truck that originally was supposed to start and park.
"All in all, to come home 10th said a lot about their racing team," said Starr, a winner of four truck races in 257 career starts. "It kept my points going and I didn't miss a race. It just says a lot about our whole sport. When things happen and situations occur, really all in all our sport is such a small community and a family. … It says a lot about the truck series."
Starr didn't know until talking with team principals Bobby Dotter and Ken Smith last Thursday at Chicagoland if he'd even get to race. It turned out that the team had just parted ways with driver Donny Lia and had a seat to fill.
The finish allowed Starr to remain ninth in the series standings as the series moves on to Kentucky for Friday night's Built Ford Tough 225. Starr is hungry for more after a season of struggles at RMM where he failed to record a top-five and led just four laps.
"We've had some really, really good runs where we were going to finish in the top five," said Starr, 42. "We just didn't have luck on our side. I felt like that over the years I've had really great luck and it's just like my luck has kind of caught up with me."
Along with Starr’s own ups and downs, teammate and former truck series champion Mike Skinner (eighth in points) also has been uncharacteristically a non-factor in the championship race.
"The team financially just wasn't where it needed to be and I think both teams struggled from it," Starr said.
Now with a new team and potential for improvement, Starr is trying to keep his season to date in perspective.
"I've been in this deal since 1998 and this has been a rather challenging year, but I'm still very thankful and very blessed that I get out of bed every day and live my dream," he said. "So I'm not going to complain too much. I'm just thankful that I'm part of NASCAR and the truck series.
"We got our 250th start earlier this year and, heck, I want to get 250 more with a bunch more wins. Yeah, it's been challenging but there are a lot of lessons in there, too. It could be a lot worse."
